Flexible anchor arrangement for castable or plastic refractory and method for employing the same



Feb. 6, 1962 H. w. WEBER 3,019,561

FLEXIBLE ANCHOR ARRANGEMENT FOR CASTABLE OR'PLASTIC REFRACTORY ANDMETHOD FOR EMPLOYING THE SAME Flled March 10, 1958 5 am y o 7 E M W R 0MW N /M in M m +H a a a Unit 3,019,551 Patented F oh. 6, 1952 ice3,019,561 FLEXIBLE ANCHQR ARRANGEMENT FUR CAST- ABLE R PLASTKCREFRACTORY AND METH- 0!) FOR EMPLOYING THE SAME Herman W. Weber, RockHill, M0,, assignor to H. K. Porter Qompany, Inc, Pittsburgh, Pa acorporation of Pennsylvania Filed Mar. 10, 1958, Ser. No. 720,340 2Claims. (Cl. 50-368) The present invention relates generally torefractory wall and roof structures, and more particularly to a novelflexible anchor arrangement for walls and roofs constructed for the mostpart from castable or plastic refractories.

Castable or plastic refractory materials are extensively used for theconstruction of furnace enclosures and may be used in the hearth, wallsor roof. When used in the hearth, such materials present no problem ofemplacement or retention, but when used for walls or roofs, it is oftendesirable to provide support from an external steel structure, ratherthan depending on gravity for support, as would be the case withordinary unsupported walls or sprung arches. Thus, the present inventioncontemplates 21 flexible anchor arrangement by means of which monolithicportions of a refractory wall or roof may be anchored to an appropriateexternal steel structure.

In brief, the improved arrangement comprises anchors in the form ofsteel stampings fabricated so as to engage the flanges of a small I-beamand having fingers that engage suitable lugs on a special refractorytile suited for embedment in the castable or plastic refractory formingthe major portion of the wall or roof. The anchors are so constructedand mounted as to enable them to shift or fiex slightly in at leastthree directions, and are adapted to engage the special tiles in amanner which permits the inevitable shifting which is necessary toaccommodate expansive movements of the refractory furnace lining. whileportions of the special tiles are, of course, embedded in therefractory, no part of the steel anchors is thus enclosed.

The invention also contemplates special molding forms comprising movablesections to be used in the emplacement of the castable or plasticrefractory to uniform thicknesses. Appropriate locks and wedges areprovided for use with the forms for insuring a finished wall of uniformthickness.

It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a novelflexible anchor arrangement suitable for a castable or plasticrefractory wall or roof.

It is another object of the invention to provide a novel method orsystem for anchoring a wall or roof of cast or plastic monolithicconstruction.

It is another object of the invention to provide a novel flexible anchorarrangement for flexibly supporting a monolithic wall to enable thelatter to move in various directions under expansive and contractiveforces.

It is another object of the invention to provide a novel flexible anchorarrangement which includes a metal hanger and a refractory tileassociated on the ball and socket principle.

It is another object of the invention to provide a novel flexible anchorarrangement employing hangers in the form of fabricated steel stampings.

It is another object of the invention to provide a novel flexible anchorsystem which employs sectional forms for insuring uniform thickness ofcast or rammed plastic refractories.

It is another object of the invention to provide a novel flexible anchorsystem for castable or plastic refractory material which utilizesrelatively inexpensive material formed to relatively simpleconfiguration and being readily assembled and mounted with a minimum ofeffort and instruction.

The foregoing, along with additional objects and advantages, Will beapparent from the following description relating to specific embodimentsand illustrations of the invention as depicted in the accompanyingdrawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary isometric view showing a partially constructedrefractory roof embodying the teachings of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary vertical section showing the partiallyconstructed roof of FIGURE 1 as viewed from the left foreground;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary vertical section illustrating the partiallyconstructed roof of FIGURE 1 as viewed from the right foreground;

FIGURE 4 is a diagrammatic plan view illustrating the use of movablesectional molding forms;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary side view illustrating the removableinterengagement of the metal hangers and the special tiles associatedtherewith;

FEGURE 6 is a rear elevation of a removed hanger;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary side elevation showing the locked engagementof a metal hanger with an element of the supporting structure; and

FIGURE 8 is a horizontal section showing in top plan form theinterconnection illustrated in FIGURE '7.

Considering the drawing more particularly, and employing referencecharacters to indicate details illustrated therein, the numeral 10designates generally a flexible anchor arrangement conforming to theteachings of the present invention. The arrangement 19 as illustrated inFIGURES 1, 2 and 3 of the drawing comprises a plurality of Lbeamsdisposed in parallel arrangement for overall support of a horizontalgenerally monolithic refractory roof 14. In supporting the roof 14, thebeams 12 are, of course, mounted horizontally; however, it should beunderstood that, where a vertical or side wall is to be supported,similar beams may be disposed vertically and a vertical monolithic wallwould be anchored thereto.

Referring once more to the arrangement illustrated in FIGURES 1 through3, each of the beams 12 supports a plurality of hangers 16 spacedlongitudinally along respective lower beam flanges 18. The hangers orcradles 16 are preferably constructed from steel sheet, which may bestamped to appropriate shape and the parts assembled by spot welding.Thus, each cradle 16 comprises a right hand and a left hand hangerelement 20 and 22 interconnected by a U-shaped strap 24 as clearly shownin FIG- URE 6. The hangers 20 and 22 diifer from each other only inbeing of opposite hand, and each compn'sesa hook portion 26 shaped asclearly illustrated in FIG- URES 5, for example, and a bent overelongated flange portion 28.

As is apparent from the drawing, each of the cradles I6 supportinglyengages a sepcial tile 30, each of the latter being provided withoppositely extending lugs or bosses 32 for engagement with the parallelhook portions 26 of the cradles 16. As clearly shown in FIGURES 2 and 5,the bosses 32 have convex surfaces 34 at an inclination to a centralvertical plane through the tile 3! and thus provide, in effect, agenerally spherical character in respect to the opposed bosses of eachtile. Clearly, then, the illustrated engagement of a cradle 16 with atile 36 is in the general nature of a ball and socket relationship,which permits the tile to move in various directions relative to theassociated hanger.

Preferably, the tiles 30 have a tapered configuration, being ofgenerally smaller area at top than at the bottom. However, it will benoted from FIGURE 3 that one side, preferably a back side 36, is formedso as to be generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tile 30,whereas each of the remaining three sides of the tile 3% are taperedoutwardly from top to bottom. Each of the four lateral faces of thetiles 30 is corrugated over its lower area as illustrated at 38 in thedrawing. In addition, each of the illustrated tiles 30 is provided witha boss 40 adjacent the top of its forward face, as distinguished fromthe rear or nontapered face 3-6. It is obvious from FIGURES 3 and 7 thatthese bosses 40 would interfere with the cradles 16 if it were attemptedto suspend the tiles 30 in reverse position to that illustrated in thedrawing.

FIGURES 7 and 8 illustrate the use of a locking assembly 42 for securingthe cradle 16 to an I-beam flange 18. The assembly 42 comprises a metalstrap member 44 bent to the configuration clearly illustrated in FIG-URE 8, and a bolt 46 threadedly engaging the strap 44. The arrangementis clearly such that the assembly 42 may be engaged over the flanges 18and forwardly extending portions 47 of the hanger flanges 28, being thensecured by screwing down on the bolt 46.

The emplacement of the monolithic refractory 14, which may be of cast orplastic type, completes the refractory panel, so that the resulting wallor roof, as the case may be, provides a uniform refractory lining.

The employment of the anchoring arrangement 10 in securing furnacelinings is generally apparent from the foregoing description and fromthe illustrations of the drawing. Thus, with the beams or columns 12 inplace, one hanger 16, along with an associated tile 34), is engaged witheach of the members 12 to provide a row of spaced anchoring devices.Where the structure being erected is a horizontal roof, this row will bedisposed adjacent one end of the roof area, and where the structure isto take the form of a vertical wall, the row of anchoring devices willbe located near the bottom or foot of the wall. Also, in the case of awall, a locking device 42 is preferably associated with each of thecradles 16 to retain the same in place, at least until the wall underconstruction has been completed up to that point.

With one row of cradles 16 and supported tiles in position, therefractory material 14 may be emplaced so as to embed the taperedportion of the tiles 30 as shown. The build-up of material 14 maycontinue until a position is reached wherein a second row of cradles 16and supported tiles 36 may be assembled onto the beams 12. It should beparticularly noted that the added cradles 16 and tiles 30 are orientedso as to emplace the vertical, or nontapered side of each tile 30against the previously emplaced refractory material 14. This avoids thenecessity of deforming a generally straight surface on the previouslyemplaced material more than is necessary to accommodate the corrugations38 on the back side 36 of the added tile 30. This, incidentally,illustrates the significance of the boss 40 on each tile 30, thesebosses serving to eliminate the possibility of the tiles being assembledin backward position. Reversal of the tile and cradle combination would,of course, be immediately evident to the worker and would therefore notbe expected to occur.

The foregoing process of adding a row of cradle and tile combinationsand then an additional section of the castable or plastic refractory 14is continued until the roof or wall is completed. In the case of a wall,the locking devices 42 may be left in place if desired, but arepreferably removed in order to provide less restriction to expansivemovement of the finished wall.

In many instances, and particularly with castable refractories, it isadvantageous to provide forms for supporting the monolithic mixtureuntil it has set up, and also for insuring a uniform thickness in thewall or roof. In the illustration of FIGURES 1 through 3, a lowermolding form of wood, such as plywood sheeting, is shown and designatedgenerally by the numeral 48. Inasmuch as this form 48 is provided at thefree surface of the wall under construction, it may be supported in anyconventional manner. In providing forms for the opposite surface of thewall lining, however, consideration must be given to the interferinganchoring structure, namely, the beams 12, the cradles i6, and the tiles30. Thus, form plates 50, constructed of sheet metal to a plan shapeshown best in FIGURE 4 and having an upturned flange 52 shown in sectionin FIGURE 3, are arranged as clearly illustrated in the foregoingfigures along with FIGURES 1 and 2. The plates 50 have notches 54 forinterfit with the upper portions of the tiles 30 and are disposed at alevel immediately beneath the hooked portions 26 of the cradles 16. Withthe position of the plates 50 thus established, a wedge 56 of wood orother suitable material is inserted between the free edge of the flange52 and the adjacent flange 18 of the associated I-beam 12 so as to keepthe plate 5% parallel to the beams 12. Wires 58 inserted through holes68 in the flanges 52 are then brought up over the beams 12 and twistedso as temporarily to retain the form plates 5% in position as shown inFIGURE 1. After the material 4% has been emplaced between the forms 38and the plates 56, the latter, as well as the former, may be removed andpositioned in a manner similar to that above described at a new locationso as to continue construction of the wall.

It will be apparent that a wall construction as above described will beflexibly supported so that it may shift in any direction under theinfluence of the forces which occur in the heating and cooling offurnaces. The desired flexibility is attained both by virtue of the balland socket principle employed in the engagement of the eradles 116 withthe tiles 30, and in the flexibility of the cradles 16 themselves. Thecradles 16, being constructed from steel stampings, are light in weightand are inherently flexible, yet are amply strong to sustain the loadsto which they are subjected. It will be noted particularly that thecradles 1e are not buried in the refractory and hence are not overlysusceptible to the weakening influence of a hot wall.

Clearly, there has been provided a flexible anchor arrangement forcastable or plastic refractories, along with a method for employing thesame, which fulfills the objects and advantages sought therefor.

It is to be understood that the foregoing description and drawing havebeen given by way of illustration and example. It is further to beunderstood that changes in the form of the elements, rearrangement ofparts, and the substitution of equivalent elements, all of which will beapparent to those skilled in the art, are contemplated as being withinthe scope of the present invention, which is limited only by the claimswhich follow.

What is claimed is:

1. In a refractory wall, a monolithic refractory panel having aplurality of preformed refractory tiles embedded therein and extendingbeyond one major surface thereof, the extended portions of the tileseach provided with oppositely extending bosses, an individual metalhanger movably engaging each of said tiles, each hanger including a pairof parallel hook-shaped spaced apart elements in supporting engagementwith said bosses, said parallel hook-shaped elements being spaced aparta distance greater than the width of the supported tile thereby accom'modating lateral movement of the tile, the oppositely extending bosseson the tiles being formed with convex surfaces inclined upwardly andoutwardly of the tile body, said boss surfaces being in engagement withthe spaced apart hanger elements in substantially a ball and socket typeof arrangement, and a plurality of parallel flanged structural memberseach in supporting engagement with a plurality of said hangers.

2. A suspended refractory monolithic roof construction for furnacescomprising a plurality of supporting beams having lower outwardlyextending horizontal flanges, a plurality of metal hangers suspendedfrom said horizontal flanges and being movable laterally of said beams,each hanger including spaced parallel depending cradle arms, a precastelongated refractory tile suspended from each hanger including opposedbosses at the upper end resting in said spaced cradle arms, the bossesof each tile being formed with convex surfaces inclined upwardly andoutwardly of the tile body permit-ting expansion and contraction of saidroof construction, said cradle arms being spaced apart a distancegreater than the width of the tile thereby accommodating lateralmovement of the tile and a monolithic refractory mass about and betweensaid tiles supported thereby to complete the refractory roof, saidrefractory mass being below said bosses and supporting cradle arms.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

